NEW YORK — Billy Wagner’s bid to become Cooperstown’s starting left-handed reliever will have to wait, if it ever happens. In his ninth year of eligibility in the Baseball Writers Association of America polls, Wagner was just shy of the 75 percent needed to be promoted, like every other former pitcher on the ballot — a large group that included Carlos Beltran and David Wright.
Wagner, who served as the Mets’ closer from 2006-09, received 73.8 percent of the BBWAA vote, falling short by five votes. The Class of 2024 is Adrian Beltre, Joe Moyer and Todd Helton.
In what is generally considered the front door to Cooperstown, candidates need 75 percent of the vote to qualify. Wagner, who has played for the Astros, Phillies, Red Sox and Braves in his 16-year career, is just one year away from reaching that milestone. In the year He won 68.1 percent of the vote last January, up from 10.5 percent in the first year of the election in 2016.
Players will receive a bump in their final year of the draft, and if that happens to Wagner, he could still become the ninth first-base reliever and the first left-hander to ever make it to Cooperstown, joining Hoyt Wilhelm, Goth Gossage, Bruce Suter, Rollie Fingers. Dennis Eckersley, Lee Smith, Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.
Like his contemporaries Hoffmann and Rivera, Wagner was a standout throughout his career. But his style was different. A pure flamethrower, Wagner threw in the mid-90s and became the epitome of modern-day relievers, averaging 11.9 batters per 9 innings for his career.
After nine seasons in Houston and two in Philadelphia, Wagner became part of the Mets’ spending spree, signing a four-year, $43 million contract after the 2005 season. Most successful in Queens, he pitched 101 games with a 2.40 ERA from 2006-08 before undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing most of the 2009 season.
The following year, Wagner pitched one of the best performances of his career for the Braves at age 38, but opted to retire after the season to spend more time with his family. His decision to walk at the top of the game made Wagner a borderline Cooperstown affair, causing him to have the lowest WAR of any Hall of Fame reliever. That, along with short and unsuccessful playoff runs, cost Wagner his first nine years in the draft.
Beltran, likewise, is 0-for-2 in his first two years of eligibility, though he hopes his wait for a start won’t be as long as Wagner’s. This year, the longtime Mets center fielder received 57.1 percent of the vote, up from 46.5 percent last January. One of the most prolific center fielders of his generation, Beltran hit 435 home runs, stole 312 bases and won three Gold Gloves over a 20-year career. But he has struggled to gain Hall of Fame support in part because of his involvement in the 2017 Astros sign-stealing scandal that cost him his job as Mets manager.
Also of note Tuesday was the performance of Wright, who received 6.2 percent of the vote in his first year in office. In his first decade in the Hall of Fame, Wright missed significant time in his 30s due to back, neck and shoulder injuries. As such, it doesn’t produce the types of counting stats that players need to enter the Hall of Fame.
Others with Mets ties, including Jose Reyes and Bartolo Colon, did not receive the necessary 5 percent to remain on the ballot. One other former Met, Gary Sheffield, fell short of the 75 percent mark needed for recognition in the 10th and final year of the BBWAA poll, despite hitting 509 home runs. The next chance to be inducted into the Hall will be in December 2025 through the Modern Baseball Era Committee.